Winter Sun Cycling?

imurdaddy

Hi,

So as I'm facing shoulder surgery and no more cycling until I'm recoved, I was thinking of going away for a few weeks maybe 3, in winter to try build a base again and soak up a bit of sun to help recovery, I know the usual suspects to visit but I'm thinking of something with more flat or not huge amount of climbing so I don't over do it. In past I went to Tenarife and was mostly climbing, so any suggestions be great ?

LCD

Majorca, has plenty of flat and climbs.

Have also heard of people going to Morocco cycling

jamesd

Great mix of cycling in Majorca, heading over in September for a week of it

brownian

There's some nice biking in Evia, the big (big!) island just N of Athens. At least one bike b+b place (http://greekcycleholidays.com/holiday/). Never been, just thought it looked like a change from Majorca/Tenerife.

thekooman

Lanzarote.

Eponymous

Yes, +1 for this.

There is plenty of road to cover without anything serious by way of climbing and also I saw that there is work nearing completion on a cycling and pedestrian promenade that will span from the old down in Puerto del Carmen to Costa Teguise, so about 26, 27kms in total. That would be predominantly flat. Only slopes I can think of are where the prom rises to meet a beach path at the airport, just after the Beatriz Playa Hotel (more like a speed bump).

https://www.lanzaroteon.com/news-lanzarote/world-s-longest-promenade-in-lanzarote

Heading towards the interior of the island there's plenty of really good road surface with not much by way of elevation gain and likewise you can go around mountains to get to Playa Blanca on the southern tip and avoid climbs.

Then there's this:


Looking at hiring a bike over there next year while we're on holiday specifically to do this. It's the road from Yaiza through Timanfayna National Park to Mancha Blanca.

SwissToni

Gran Canaria, can't be beaten for winter sun. Great roads and climbs.

Exiled1

Lanzarote is great for cycling. First you can hire very good bikes in a number of outlets (revolution bikes in PdC is excellent, Flistons good too). Second there are tracks for every type of ability and ambition. When you move inland, the scenery is stunning and local drivers are generally very respectful. A circuit from PdC to Yaiza, Teguise, Arrecife will give any thrill seeker plenty to think about. If you wish to climb then try the horror from PdC to Playa Blanca. I cannot remember the name of the climb (Femes??) but there is a cafe at the top where the proprietor presents you with a banana!
The only real problem is the wind.... you need to choose your route carefully. A return trip from Playa Blanca to Yaiza into a north westerly is a humbling experience.
Go for it.

imurdaddy

Cheers folks, getting surgery in 5weeks so be after Christmas and lanzorote sounds perfect for me, I'm not totally unfit but will be nursing the shoulder back to strength, torn rotator cuff answer damaged hurmus ball and socket plus back and neck but honestly in comparrsion to shoulder they pale, on serions pain meds morphine etc, they are waiting for shoulder joint to tighten a bit and blood and inflmation to go down, be fair happy to even ride gently I'm getting cabeing fever can do nothing for myself if I remove the brace my shoulder comes out only held on by the muscle and skin

Eponymous

Exiled1 wrote: »

Lanzarote is great for cycling. First you can hire very good bikes in a number of outlets (revolution bikes in PdC is excellent, Flistons good too). Second there are tracks for every type of ability and ambition. When you move inland, the scenery is stunning and local drivers are generally very respectful. A circuit from PdC to Yaiza, Teguise, Arrecife will give any thrill seeker plenty to think about. If you wish to climb then try the horror from PdC to Playa Blanca. I cannot remember the name of the climb (Femes??) but there is a cafe at the top where the proprietor presents you with a banana!
The only real problem is the wind.... you need to choose your route carefully. A return trip from Playa Blanca to Yaiza into a north westerly is a humbling experience.
Go for it.

This is one of the routes I have planned, but in reverse - so PDC, Yaiza, Playa Blanca, Femes, PDC.

Having driven from Playa Blanca to Femes, the climb seems much tougher than coming from the PDC side...

On any route on the island wind is always a factor, completely agree with you on that one!

Exiled1

Eponymous wrote: »

This is one of the routes I have planned, but in reverse - so PDC, Yaiza, Playa Blanca, Femes, PDC.

Having driven from Playa Blanca to Femes, the climb seems much tougher than coming from the PDC side...

On any route on the island wind is always a factor, completely agree with you on that one!

Agreed. The last bit of Femes from PB is a real brute.

Eponymous

Exiled1 wrote: »

Agreed. The last bit of Femes from PB is a real brute.

But if you save your energy by freewheeling from Yaiza to PB thanks to that wind, you'll be fresh and ready for it!

oconnpad

Eponymous wrote: »

Yes, +1 for this.

There is plenty of road to cover without anything serious by way of climbing and also I saw that there is work nearing completion on a cycling and pedestrian promenade that will span from the old down in Puerto del Carmen to Costa Teguise, so about 26, 27kms in total. That would be predominantly flat. Only slopes I can think of are where the prom rises to meet a beach path at the airport, just after the Beatriz Playa Hotel (more like a speed bump).

https://www.lanzaroteon.com/news-lanzarote/world-s-longest-promenade-in-lanzarote

Heading towards the interior of the island there's plenty of really good road surface with not much by way of elevation gain and likewise you can go around mountains to get to Playa Blanca on the southern tip and avoid climbs.

Then there's this:


Looking at hiring a bike over there next year while we're on holiday specifically to do this. It's the road from Yaiza through Timanfayna National Park to Mancha Blanca.

Do you know where exactly that photo is taken from? I looked along that LZ-67 in street view and couldn't see the same shot.
I'll be heading there, so would like this pic taken with my cam on phone

imurdaddy

Cheers for all suggestions folks, I think once I'm able a few weeks riding in the sun will do the bones the world of good recovery wise instead of rain and cold, I'll be taking it nice and easy just spinning the legs and gauging recovery but if lanzarorte looks the ticket and if I find it can't ride i can just enjoy the sun and a nice break to shorten the winter, I'm not affrraid to say I'm depressed not being able to ride so once surgery is over and iv some time line I'll book my trip. The surgeon said after 12weeks i should be able to ridentify gently no going mad and also said exercise in moderation will help recovery due to increased blood flow etc.

I have being very lucky health wise over the years so I'm a bit lost been housebound all I can do is buy stuff online lol

Eponymous

oconnpad wrote: »

Do you know where exactly that photo is taken from? I looked along that LZ-67 in street view and couldn't see the same shot.
I'll be heading there, so would like this pic taken with my cam on phone

I think it's down to the quality of the image from street view and the quality of the pic on the website I linked the photo from. I would be 99.9% certain of it. I know the roads of the island pretty well as I've been over there a fair bit and I've always hired a car, so cover most of the island on ever trip!

As far as I can make out, this is an approximation of the location: https://www.google.com/maps/@28.967834,-13.752365,3a,90y,33.71h,85.9t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sx4sxhU5n2C_fWgKkBTkdeQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

It's a great picture from the top of the hill looking back down the way you came too, seeing Yaiza in the distance at the end of a perfectly straight road.

Chuchote

@imurdaddy would you think about switching to a recumbent for a year or so, till your shoulder is really healed? As I understand it, the recumbent also uses back muscles more than thigh muscles, so there might be a good effect on the shoulder too? (Your surgeon/physio will advise one way or the other.)

http://www.freewheelingfrance.com/blog/recumbent-cycling-holidays.html

Bloggsie

love the idea of nipping off somewhere that you can just wear shorts & a short sleeve top in winter instead of what you have to wear here. best of luck with bothe the procedure and the time away.

silver campaign

Im gonna book a trip to Lanzarote for end of November. First time going there. With cycling and a young family in mind, would you recommend staying in Puerto Del Carmen or Playa Blanca?

Enduro

I wouldn't see cycling as a factor to choose between them. Both would work fine. Both have good bike rental shops etc.

I'd choose Plays Blanca as I prefer it as a resort (feels a bit less Engerland-goes-to-Ibita to me).

If I was to pick somewhere based on cycling (and from what little I know, things for kids to do), I'd go to Tenerife or GC.